The invention relates to a microwave component which includes a microwave conductor arrangement for conducting electromagnetic waves and a gyromagnetic material which is provided in operative contact with the electromagnetic waves.
Particularly non-reciprocal multi-port microwave components such as circulators or isolators are constructed in this way. Because of their physical operating principle these components necessarily contain gyromagnetic materials, notably ferrite materials, which are exposed to a magnetic field of defined field strength. In order to form this magnetic field, a permanent magnet can be provided in the microwave component in such a manner that its magnetic field extends through the gyromagnetic material. In order to adjust an optimum function of the microwave component, it will usually be necessary to adjust the magnetic field strength to an accurately defined value. The magnetic field strength can be adjusted by magnetizing the magnet to full saturation. Subsequently, its magnetization is step-wise reduced until the desired magnetic field strength value is obtained for which an optimum function of the desired kind can be measured on the microwave component.
However, it has been found that when this approach is used, it often occurs that the magnetic field is attenuated too much during demagnetization. The described procedure must then be completely repeated, i.e. the magnet must again be saturated and subsequently demagnetized again. Such an adjusting procedure is very intricate and expensive, notably in the case of bulk manufacture.
It is an object of the invention to construct a microwave component of the kind set forth in such a manner that the adjustment of the magnetic field strength is simplified.